Hi everyone, I’m a 38-year-old Swiss citizen currently living in Ticino. After around 10 years working in the cantonal administration (mainly in taxation), I’m going through a professional transition and trying to understand how to reposition myself in German-speaking Switzerland. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and earlier in my career I worked for one year in England, which made me fully comfortable working in English. I also speak German, although I would like to strengthen it further in a professional/business context. To be transparent: the past few years were personally challenging, and this ultimately led to the termination of my employment while I’m currently on sick leave. I want to be honest about it, because I’m aware that being dismissed from a cantonal administration role can raise questions and I’m concerned this might be perceived negatively by future employers. At the same time, I see this as an opportunity to reset and move forward more consciously. I’m motivated to rebuild and open to different paths — private sector roles, administrative positions, junior/mid-level jobs, traineeships, or temporary contracts if they help me integrate into the German-speaking job market. I would really value honest input on: • How transferable is public administration/taxation experience into the private sector? • Is it realistic to relocate first and search locally? • How competitive is the market in Zurich and nearby cantons for someone with my background? • Would obtaining a formal German certificate (e.g. C1) significantly improve my chances? • How much of a stigma, realistically, is a termination from a public administration position in Switzerland? Any candid advice or personal experiences would be very appreciated. Thank you. submitted by /u/SomewhereBusiness368
Originally posted by u/SomewhereBusiness368 on r/Switzerland